Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto has announced a cabinet shakeup, just days after the much-criticised visit of US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
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Treasury Ministry spokesman Claudia Algorri said Videgaray presented his resignation to Pena Nieto on Wednesday.
Nieto was scheduled to make a statement and is expected to name Jose Antonio Meade, Mexico’s social development minister, as Videgaray’s replacement. The spokeswoman could not confirm that Meade would become the new finance minister.
The US ambassador to Mexico, Roberta Jacobson, said Thursday that the two countries may go through some “rough times”, but relations will get back on track.
Both Mexican politicians were criticized for inviting Trump to speak in Mexico last week, considering Trump’s anti-Mexican racist campaign.
Trump seemingly celebrated his visit late on Wednesday evening by highlighting Videgaray’s exit as an example of success.
Trump insists Mexico will foot the bill for the structure, while Peña Nieto vows his nation would never pay for it instead.
It also reignited debate between Trump and Peña Nieto over the funding of Trump’s proposed wall along the U.S. -Mexico border.
Well, I think absolutely. “With Luis, Mexico and the United States would have made wonderful deals together _ where both Mexico and the U.S. would have benefited”. I mean, we’ve been badly hurt by Mexico.And if you look at what happened, look at the aftermath today where the people that arranged the trip in Mexico have been forced out of government. The 48-year-old, who ran Pena Nieto’s election campaign, was widely seen as the president’s top aide, with a huge influence on a broad swath of policy.
He denied any wrongdoing or conflict of interest.
Meade, a friend of Videgaray’s, was foreign minister when Trump launched his presidential bid in June 2015.
Senator Ernesto Cordero, a former finance minister from the center-right opposition, said he expected a smooth handover to Meade, whose experience in government he underlined.
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Mexico’s economy has consistently underperformed expectations during Videgaray’s tenure.
